September 12, 2009

Today marks the 3^rd anniversary of my arrival in the US. I was 21 years old that time when I left. I can still relive the memory of that day.

As I bid farewell to my parents at the entrance of the airport, I felt pure excitement as if I'm ready to go and something new was waiting for me. Although I couldn't remember the color of their clothes, I could widely recall what their faces looked like. At first, I found it hilarious that they were walking along with me by the glass window. While I was checking in my baggage and while I was paying my terminal tax, they were there watching me. I was like “Kakahiya naman, wag niyo nga ako panuorin!”

Then, reality bit me when I realized I have to turn my back on them to proceed to the waiting area where I wouldn't be able to see them anymore. I couldn't look at them, for sorrow has begun to struck me. (It was like a movie scene where you have to look back and cry!) So I gather my self and my strength, told myself “do not cry, you'll look pathetic”, then I looked back to waive at them for my final goodbye. They seemed excited for me as if there's no sign of sadness, they were smiling while waving their hands back at me through a glass window of the airport. I didn't know that, that moment would be stuck in my head for 3 years now.

There I go holding back my tears, flying alone to LA with that memory on my mind. I didn't know that from that day on, my life would change drastically. I grew a lot from the moment we parted. Everything changed, what remained was their memory and their motivation to go through this new life.

Nobody ever asked me if I missed them. Maybe they think I'm too old to be homesick and I've been spending lots of time away from them during college. But this time is different. We're definitely hundred thousand miles apart, living at different time zones. A simple emergency wouldn't make them come here anytime. There were so much happenings that we weren't physically present for each other; Mom got sick, I got engaged, I got married, our dog gave birth, someone broke in our house and many more. But I can guarantee that neither one of us felt unsupported nor neglected. I have no idea when we're going to reunite, but definitely it will not take another 3 years of waiting.

At the end of the day, I am very fortunate to have had these experiences though it was never easy. And so life goes on, there are more bumps ahead, more things to learn and more tasks to accomplish. “Oh future! Here I come!”